It isn’t the first time we’ve heard “pretty young girl” and “strange man” in a news headline – but unfortunately, these terms were used to describe what happened to Jessica Alba. At the age of 15, Alba was given the role in a remake of the classic marine adventure series, “Flipper”. It was Alba’s first major role in a television show, which was undoubtedly very exciting.
But while the sandy shores of Australia were appealing, there were some circumstances to follow that left a bitter taste. While on set, Alba received a random phone call from a strange man. A prank, or a fan, Alba didn’t think much of it – but he kept calling. Unfortunately, this was the early 2000s, when blocking a phone number wasn’t an option.
Learning the Actors' Way
Starting acting lessons helped her channel her teen angst and pent-up emotions — she was using all she had pitted against her to make her a great actress. Alba proved that she had a natural talent for it, and after just nine months into her acting lessons, she was signed at 12 years old!
Following this momentous change, things were looking up for Alba and she finally found a place where she belonged. But it wasn’t all rosy – there were a few hiccups along the way – and terrifying ones at that. As it turns out, her intense beauty would somehow both help and hinder her career.
Alba’s Film Debut
She soon got a small role on the Nickelodeon TV show "The Secret World of Alex Mack". Things were moving quickly for Alba, who even got herself a talent agent. She garnered a role in her first film, the 1994 comedy, "Camp Nowhere". As she entered her teens, Alba also began doing some modeling work, as well as commercials.
For a young teen wanting to be an actress, it would’ve been a dream come true – but this was just the beginning for Alba and her career. But with great attention, can sometimes come unwanted consequences. The actress soon found herself weathering bad reviews and intense negative attention.
An Australian Stalker?
Alba went about her business on set as usual but was still receiving these strange phone calls. And it seems that Alba kept it to herself, thinking it was probably just some overenthusiastic fan. Alba clearly thought she was safe – but there was definitely more reason for her to be on guard than she thought.
Eventually, the man proved to be relentless, incessantly calling her and she soon started becoming concerned. The unnecessary attention was initially a slight annoyance, but now it became unsettling and Alba was beginning to worry. The problem was that calling wasn't enough for this type of person – he was going to want more soon.
Just Another Day on Set?
As predicted, the calling stopped, but something more sinister was in the works. One day, on the set of "Flipper", there was an unidentified man lurking on set and no one actually noticed. Soon enough, Alba was missing and nobody could find her. She wasn't in her trailer and she hadn't been seen around the set.
Obviously, the people on set quickly realized a main cast member was missing. Where could the 15-year-old have disappeared to? It couldn't be that she had just wandered off, it was totally out of character – and it didn’t take long for people to catch on and realize something serious was going on.